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Students talk Christmas

A local second-grade student says Christmas is all about giving and making others happy.

Wapakoneta Elementary School student Tagen Patterson says she is looking forward to Christmas this year.

“It’s (Christmas) is about giving,” Tagen said. “I like giving because it makes me feel happy.”

Tagen noted the holiday focuses on giving and spreading happiness.

“Some people don’t get to celebrate Christmas, so I get to give them a gift to make them feel happy,” Tagen said.

This year, Tagen gave her teacher, Amy Puthoff, a gift, which was a miniature tree she had made, and the gift kept giving, as Tagen then got a thank you for the appreciation of the gift.

“I got a thank you card after giving her my gift, and that make me feel special,” Tagen said.

Today, Tagen will be celebrating the holidays with her parents, Brandie and Shane, and four sisters and one brother in a special way.

“My dad is going to call Santa and we will talk on the phone to Santa to see if we have been naughty or nice,” Tagen said. “He will ask us if we have been good and we will say, ‘Yes, maybe,’ and he will say, ‘If you are, you will get lots of gifts for Christmas.’”

On her Christmas list, Tagen has a a few items including an Easy Bake Oven and a mermaid Barbie doll that swims on its own.

But Tagen said if Santa finds out they have been naughty, then he will deliver a lump of coal in their stocking.

She should not have to worry about receiving coal, because when Tagen was asked if she had been good this year, her response was immediate.

“I have been really good,” Tagen said. “I’ve been helping my sister do dishes, and I help my mom do the laundry. It makes her happy.”

Also to celebrate the holiday, the family will read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” together.

“We will dance around, go Christmas caroling and make presents for the people in the nursing home,” Tagen said.

Kindergartener Kylie Glass has a couple toys on her list this year, along with a personal wish.

“I want a Barbie doll house with Barbies, lip gloss and nail polish,” Kylie said, “and I want my two front teeth because I lost a tooth.”

As Kylie smiled and pointed to the bottom row of teeth in her mouth, it was evident she recently lost a tooth.

The six-year-old said she has been a good helper this year at home.

She has one sister and two brothers, and her family will celebrate with a holiday dinner.

“We have a feast,” Kylie said. “Then I think we will open presents on Christmas Eve and Christmas.”

When asked what her favorite part of Christmas is, Kylie said the presents.

“My favorite is the presents under the tree,” the daughter of Kelly and Glenn Glass said.

Kylie shared her favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day, but Christmas falls very close behind it.

“It’s just fun,” Kylie said.

Nine-year-old Tanner Haggard said he recently completed a holiday-themed craft in one of his classes.

“We had a Christmas party and made snowman ornaments,” Tanner said.

The snowman was made out of a jingle bell.

“We put a scarf and nose on it,” Tanner said. “I gave mine to my grandma and I already put it on her tree.”

For Christmas, Tanner said he wants a nutcracker and an iPod Touch.

“I like to listen to music,” Tanner said.

Depending on what he is feeling like listening to, he says he likes country and the radio station KISS FM.

Haggard said he has been good this year.

The son of Adell and Ron Haggard said he celebrates the holidays with his cousins and plays the Wii at his grandmother’s house.

“But my favorite part (of Christmas) is the food,” Haggard said. “My aunt makes a dirt pudding, and her youngest son, me and my brother can almost eat the whole thing. Some of the adults eat it, but not that much.”

To get ready for the holidays, Tanner and his mother decorated a live tree.

“We got a live tree and me and my mom decorated it because my brother and dad were at a Wapak basketball game,” Tanner said, “and then we went to McDonalds to eat.”

Eleven-year-old David Sharp said he already received part of his Christmas present.

“I got a Kindle iPad,” David said.

He has been playing some games on the new device, and some of which he has played before.

The son of Tammy Sharp said he wants a train this year.

“I want a remote control toy train set with a train on the tracks,” David said, “and you can control it.”

He said his mother does not like pine trees, so the family put up a fake Christmas tree to prepare for the holiday.

Recently, to get in the holiday spirit, David had watched a Christmas classic, “Frosty the Snowman.”

Nine-year-old Zavier Ayers will celebrate the holidays with his two sisters and parents, Dezi and Jeremy, and have a dinner.

“My family will get together and have a feast,” Ayers said, “and we will open presents around the Christmas tree.”

Ayers noted his favorite part of the holiday meal is turkey, and his favorite part of Christmas is getting presents.

When asked if he has been good this year, he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” Ayers said.

Little artist Alexis Bechtel wants a gift to show of her creative side.

“I want an art set,” the 7-year-old said of what she wants for Christmas.

Alexis said she loves her art class, and right now they are working on a owl project with colored construction paper.

Also, Alexis said she wants crutches, a wheelchair and cast for her American Girl doll.

Her doll’s name is “Alexis” and is a replica of the Wapakoneta Elementary School first-grade student.

The daughter of Jennifer and Paul Bechtel said her family, including her two sisters and one brother, have three places to go this year for the holidays.